1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery, an assembled battery, a vehicle equipped with a battery and a battery voltage adjusting method.
2. Background Information
A conventional vehicle battery is usually formed by connecting a plurality of secondary batteries in series. Recently, a bipolar battery has been used as the secondary battery installed in such a conventional vehicle battery.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-195495 discloses a conventional bipolar battery that has a plurality of bipolar electrodes. Each of the bipolar electrodes includes a collector, a positive electrode layer formed on a first surface of the collector and a negative electrode layer formed on a second surface of the collector that is opposite from the first surface. The bipolar electrodes are stacked with an electrolyte layer being interposed therebetween. Accordingly, the conventional bipolar battery includes a plurality of electric cells connected in series with each of the cells having the positive electrode layer and the negative electrode layer that sandwich the electrolyte layer therebetween.
Moreover, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-149951 discloses a conventional battery having a short circuit control element. More specifically, the conventional battery disclosed in this reference includes the conventional bipolar batteries used as the electric cells, and the bipolar batteries connected in series to form the battery. Each of the electric cells includes the short circuit control element that establishes a short circuit in the corresponding electric cell only when a voltage of the corresponding cell exceeds above a prescribed value. The electric current does not flow in the short circuit control element in a normal state. Therefore, even when an abnormality occurs in any one of the cells, the cell in which the abnormality occurred is shorted by using the short circuit control element to enable current to flow in the cell. Thus, the battery can be continuously used without being adversely affected by the cell in which the abnormality occurred.
In view of the above conventional technology, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved battery, assembled battery that is especially useful in a vehicle equipped with a battery as well as an improved battery voltage adjusting method. This invention addresses these needs in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.